Machine for gluing laths together



-Oct.22, 1946. I YG.MAURER 2,409,777

MACHINE FOR GLUING LATHS TOGETHER I Filed Ju ly 31, 1943 6 Sheets-Sheet l I l l 7 7 lizzvenwr Oct.2 2,1946. MAU ER 2,409,777

MACHINE FOR GLUING LATHS TOGETHER Filed July 31, 1943 She etS-Sheet 2 1946- i G. MAURER 2,409,777

MACHINE FOR GLUING"LATHS TOGETHER Filed July 51, 1943 7 s Sheets$heet s 0d. 22, 1946. MAURER MACHINE FOR GLUING LATHS TOGETHER Filed July 51, 194-3 6 Sheets-Sheet. 5

Patented Oct. 22, 1945 PATENT OFFICE MACI-[ENE FOR GLUING LA'IHS TOGETHER Gottfried Maurer, Zurich, Switzerland, assignor to Wilhelm Fischer-Sueffert, Basel, Switzerland Application July 31, 1943, Serial No. 496,919 In Germany March 17, 1938 Claims.

The object of the present invention is a machine for gluing together laths which are inserted into the same across the conveying direction, this machine comprising a supporting table, a conveying device for the laths and devices for gluing and pressing the laths together.

Machines of this type are known, in which the conveying device for the laths is formed as a slide running forward and backward over a table. This construction, however, is not advantageous in that the laths must be laid in front of the slide in quick succession, for the slide is continuously reciprocated and the laths are immediately pushed under the usual pressing bars. Thus, if a lath has been brought into an inexact position in front of the slide it also comes into this position under the pressing bars, so that it is impossible afterwards to put the lath into correct position with regard to the others.

Therefore, in these known machines, there 20 is no possibility of surveying the product in manufacture, because only after the finished plate has left the machine can it be seen whether it is defectless or not. This is particularly inconvenient if defective laths (having knots, resinous pores, etc.) are used, these defects being only visible in these known machines when the laths are already glued so that they cannot be removed without stopping and returning the machine. Besides, it is often the case that a lath, in the direction of fibre, consists of several pieces between which tight butt joints should be obtained. When feeding these pieces they must be very quickly brought in front of the slide and struck against one another in their butt joints. This quick manipulation can, however, not be carried out with suficient accuracy.

Also machines for gluing laths together are known with a supporting table consisting of a stationary plate, in which the laths are conveyed by means of drawing-in rollers. Glue is applied to the laths on inserting them into the machine and they are then gripped by the drawing-in rollers. However, correcting the position of a inexactly inserted lath can only be carried out after having stopped and returned the machine.

In other known machines for gluing laths together the latter are conveyed by conveyer chains provided with movable drivers. However, these machines are very much complicated by the parts controlling the drivers. Besides this, it is not possible in these machines to convey laths which, in conveying direction, have together a length greater than the mutual distance of two drivers. If a certain number of laths lying one behind the 2 other do not lie on the chains in such a way that the hindmost laths bear against the drivers, the whole row of laths must be moved back by hand until the laths are gripped by the drivers. This,

5 however, is very dangerous as the hands of the of a lath no longer being tight. Moreover, the

drivers projecting beyond the table surface constitute a danger for the worker laying the laths upon the supporting table.

The machine according to the invention remedies all the above-mentioned inconveniences. It

is characterised in that the supporting table comprises conveying elements protruding only in so far above the supporting surface that between the conveying elements and the laths to be conveyed the friction necessary for conveying the latter is obtained, and that, after the supporting table, a transporting device is provided moving the laths conveyed by the conveying elements out of the plane of the latter in front of a second table on which the laths are glued together.

Fig. 2 is a view in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 1a,

Fig. 3 is a section along the line IIIIII in Fig. 1b.

Fig. 4 is a partial view in the direction of arrow B in Fig. In.

Fig. 5 is a top view of the push beam,

Fig. 6 illustrates a part of Fig. 3, on an enlarged scale,

Fig. 7 illustrates a part of Fig. 1b, partly in sec- 0 tion, on an enlarged scale.

The machine frame l carries a supporting table 3 whose supporting surface for the laths 2| is formed by bars 2. Between the latter, conveying elements in the form of bands 4 are arranged, protruding only so far above the conveying elements 4 as is required to produce the friction necessary for conveying laths. The transport bands 4 might be replaced by conveying chains. The bands 4 run over rollers 5 mounted on the shafts B and I.

The bands 4 are driven by a shaft 8 receiving its A stop I4 is provided on the upper side of the Supporting table 3. On the one end this stop M has a plate l5. Through a bore of this latter and the slit I5 (Fig. 2) of the carrier ll fixed to the machine frame I goes the screw l8 by means of which the stop H2 is fixed. For adjusting the latter across the conveying direction the handle screw I9 is loosened so that the screw l8 can be moved along the slit l6. The position of the stop M is dependent on the length, i. e. on the extension of the plate to be made in the direction of fibre. This length is determined by the distance (Fig. 2) between the stop if? and the circular saw blade 28, by means of which the assembled laths 2| are shortened to the desired length of the plate to be manufactured. The shaft 23 of the saw blade 26 is pivoted on supports 22 fixed to the machine frame I and is driven by the pulley 24.

In order to guide the laths 2| which, seen in Fig. 3, are moved by the conveying bands 4 from the left to the right, a beam 25 fixed to the bolt 26 is provided. This beam 25 must be adjustable in the vertical direction in accordance with the thickness of the laths 2| to be assembled. For this purpose a hand wheel 2? is provided whose shaft 28 is mounted on the frame I and carries a worm 29 (or a helical-toothed spur gear) engaging a toothed segment 30, the shaft 3| of which being mounted on the frame I by means of the bearings 32. Besides this, the shaft 3| carries two forked levers 33 reaching below the discs 34 of the bolt 26. If the beam 25 is to be adjusted in accordance with a greater thickness of the laths, the hand wheel 2'! is driven in such a way that the forked levers 33, seen in Fig. 3, rotate in the clockwise direction, thereby lifting the beam 25.

For assisting the feeding operation of the bands 4 a roller 35 acting upon the upper side of the laths 2| is provided. The pivots 36 of this roller are mounted on carriers 31 fixed to the beam 25. Therefore, if the latter is adjusted by means of the hand wheel 2?, the roller 35 is simultaneously displaced accordingly. The roller 35 is driven in the following manner: The chain wheel 38 mounted on the'one pivot 38 (on the right in Fig. 2) is connected by the chain 39 with the chain wheel ll on the bolt 40. The second chain wheel 42 of this bolt 49 is connected by a chain 33 with a chain wheel 44 fixed to a shaft 5, the drive of this latter being described above. The bolt 40, besides, forms the pivot for the plates 45 and 56 which are rotatably connected with the haft 5 and the pivot 36 respectively. Owing to the arrangement shown, the drive of the roller 35 can follow any change in the vertical position of the latter.

At the moment when the foremost lath 2| is lifted out of the plane of the supporting table 3 in a manner described later on, the laths lying on the latter must not be displaced. Any advance is then prevented by a press bar 4! arranged above the right-hand end (Fig. 3) of the table 3. This press bar 81 is pivoted on two carrying bolts 48 vertically guided by the bearings $9 of the frame I and loaded by springs 50 being supported on the lower bearings 49. The springs 50 tend to draw the carrying bolts 48 downwards. The leftand right-hand threaded intermediate piece 5| of the carrying bolts 48 serves the purpose of changing the length of the latter in order to adapt the vertical position of the press bar 41 to the thickness of the laths 2|. The lower ends of the carrying bolts 48 are connected to levers 52 rotatable about pins 53 fixed to the frame I. The other end of these levers 52 carries rollers 5 1 cooperating with cam discs 55 fixed to the shaft 3. These cam. discs rotate from time to time the levers 52, seen in Fig. 3, in the anticlockwise direction, thereby lifting the carrying bolts 48 with the press bar 41 and allowing the laths 2| on the supporting table 3 of being advanced.

A bracket 56 of the frame I carries a back wall iii; the horizontal distance between the latter and the press bar 47 can be altered in order to adjust it in accordance with the width of the laths 2|. For rendering the adjustment of the back wall 5'! possible, bolts 58 go through slits 59 of the horizontal flange of this back Wall 5! and through the bracket 56. The back wall 51 is fastened to the bracket 55 by tightening the handle nuts 60 on the bolts 58. For adjusting the back wall 51 the handle nuts 68 are loosened.

Between the press bar 4? and the back wall 5? is arranged a lifting bar 6| serving the purpose of lifting the laths 2| from the supporting table 3 to the plane of the table 62 on which the gluing together of the laths takes place, glue having previously been applied to the latter in a manner described later on. The lifting bar 8| is vertically guided by the guide members 63 of the frame I. The lifting bar 6| is carried by the plates 64 pivoted on it and to the levers 55. The latter are rotatably mounted on the frame 5 by means of the shafts 55. They carry rollers Bl cooperating with cam discs 58 on the shaft 8. In the lowermost position of the lifting bar 6| the upper edge of the same is flush with the supporting surface of the table 3, so that the foremost lath 2! can be pushed upon the lifting bar 6| by the subsequent ones. However, in the uppermost position of the lifting bar 6| the upper edge of the same is flush with the surface of the table 62 so that the lifted lath can be pushed upon the table 52 by a device described later on.

In Fig. '7 it is seen how the projections 59 of the lifting bar 6| enter slits 19 of the back wall 57 and cut-outs ll of the bars 12 forming the table 62.

Instead of placing the table 62 above it might also be placed below the supporting table 3. Then the above described lifting device would be replaced by a lowering arrangement,

On the way from the supporting table 3 to the table 62 glue is applied to the laths by the following apparatus: The glue container 73 with the glue roller 14 mounted on it is fixed to the horizontal flange of the back wall 51.. This glue roller E4 makes contact with the glue applying roller 75 whose pivot 76 are connected with the pivots 18 of the glue roller by means of the plates H. The glue roller 14 is driven by the shaft 8 with the help of chain wheel 19, chain 80 and chain wheel 8|. As is especially to be seen in Fig. 7, the glue applying roller '15 has grooves 82, so that the parts 83 of greater diameter only receive glue from the roller 14 and apply it to the laths. These parts 83 pass through slits 84 of the back wall 5'1. The flanges of the lifting bar 5|, too, have cut-outs 85 within reach of the parts 83 in order to avoid that these flanges, on lifting and lowering the bar 6|, are smeared with glue. By the illustrated form of the glue applying roller E5 the laths are not supplied with glue over the whole length, but only on different places. This gluing, however, is sufficient and allows of avoiding smearing of the back wall 51.

The laths lifted by the lifting bar 6| to the height of the plane of the table 62 are pushed upon the table 62 by a push beam 86 (to the right in Fig. 3). This push beam 86 is movably mounted on the frame I by means of the guides 81. A motion to and fro is imparted to the push beam 86 by levers 88 pivoted to the ears 9!! of the beam 85 by means of the bolts 89. The other end of the levers 88 rotatably mounted on the frame I by means of the shaft 9I carries rollers 92 cooperating with the cam disc 93 attached to the shaft 8. The springs Sid provide for the rollers 92 being constantly pressed against the cam discs 93. The construction of the push beam 86 may specially be seen in Figs. 5 and 7. It has holes 95 open towards the table 62 .and separated from one another by ribs 96. When the lifting bar BI is in its uppermost position and the push beam 86, seen in Fig. 3, moves to the right, the ribs 96 go through the slits Q1 of the lifting bar GI between the bars I2, in this way, together with the transverse rib 98 (Fig. 3), pushing the lath lying on the lifting bar 6| towards the table 62.

The device for pushing laths forming the length of the plate in the direction of fibre tightlytogether in their butt joints may be seen in Fig. 5 wherein the push beam 86 is illustrated by a top view. The medial portion of the lever 59 is pivotally mounted on the beam 86 and at the one end, carries a hammer Hill], at the other end a pin IllI. In the position shown in Fig. 5, the lever 99 is pressed by the spring I62, against the cam I03 fixed to the frame I. the lever 99 lying on the side of the pin Idl, in the position shown engages the pawl I68 rotatably fixed to the push beam 86 and influenced by the spring I855. The cam Iii? carries a releasing pin IIl'I whose manner of action is described later on. By means of the member I88 a stop I69 is fixed to the push beam 86 which, after a loosening of the screw Hi can be displaced for adapting its position to the desired length of the plate to be manufactured. When the push beam 36 moves forward, i. e. in the direction of the arrow C, the pawl I05, after a certain time, strikes against the releasing pin I01 and is rotated in the anticlockwise direction, thereby releasing the lever 39. This, under the effect of the spring I62, rotates in the clockwise direction, so that the hammer I90 strikes against the foremost lath 2|, whereby the hindmost lath is pressed against the stop I09 and all the laths are pushed tightly together in their butt joints III. This done, the push beam 86 while 'continuing its forward motion brings the laths with their tight butt joints I II from the lifting bar EI to the table 62. When the push beam 85 moves back in the direction of the arrow D, the pin IOI runs upon the inclined surface II2 of the cam IE3. The lever 99 is thereby returned into the position shown in Fig. 5 and is again locked by the pawl I66.

As mentioned above, the table 62, on which the laths are glued together along their longitudinal edges, is formed by the bars 12 which are supported on the back wall El and on the U-iron I i3. Above the bars I2, bars 4 form a pressing bed. Each of the bars H4 is fixed to bolts N5, of which in Fig. 3 only one is shown for each bar IM. These bolts H5 are suspended on U- irons IIB of which only one is illustrated. Each bolt II5 carries a supporting ring III. Between this latter and the U-iron IIB a spring IIB is inserted for each bolt H5, pressing the bar II I belonging to it against the laths 2I on the table 62. By means oftwo hand wheels II9 belonging to each U -iron H6 and by means of spindles I engaging nuts I2-I of the U-iron II3 the pressure The end I04 of L 'to be exerted by the pressing bed upon the laths to be glued together can be adjusted.

The width (vertical to the direction of fibre) of the plate to be manufactured can previously be adjusted on a counter. This counter counts the laths joined together in the feed direction and as the width of the laths is known, the extension of the plate vertical to the direction of fibre can be determined from the number of laths used for each plate. Seen in Fig. 2, this counter is placed on the right side of the machine. On the pin I22 fixed to the frame I a lever I23 is loosely mounted, on which the rod I24 is pivoted. As may particularly be seen in Fig. 4, the rod I24 is connected to a lever I23 the latter being pivoted on the frame I by means of the bolt I25. This lever I26 carries a roller I21 cooperating with a cam disc I28 of the shaft 8. The spring I29 fixed to the lever I23 and to the machine frame I presses the roller I2? continuously against the cam disc I28. On the lever I23 a driving pawl I30 is rotatably mounted, a spring I3I being fixed to this pawl and to the lever I 23, which has the tendency of bringing the driving pawl I30 into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel I32 loosely mounted on the pin I22. Rigidly connected with this ratchet wheel I32, but also loosely arranged on the pin I22 is the rope pulley I33 (Fig. 4) on which the rope I35 of the weight I35 is wound. Rigidly connected with the ratchet wheel I32 is the lever I36 whose one end I31 carries a pin I38 while the other end I39 of the same is determined to cooperate with lever I lI fixed to the pin I43. A pawl I43 is, pivotally mounted on the frame I, being under the influence of the spring I42 and serving the purpose of holding the ratchet wheel I32, against the influence of the weight I35, in that position into which it has previously been brought by the driving pawl I36. The pawl I43 can be brought out of engagement with the ratchet wheel I32 by the lever MI, and at the same time, operate the schematically illustrated apparatus Hi4 counting the manufactured plates. Loosely placed on the pin I22 and fixed to the frame I by means of the screw M5 is the lever I41 which carries the cam' I46 operating the driving pawl I39 in a manner described later on. Furthermore, on the pin I22 a lever I48 is loosely mounted whose resiliently arranged bolt I49 is determined alternately to enter a space of the toothed rim I59. To this toothed rim I50 belongs a scale ItiI which, to gether with this rim I59, is fixed to the frame I and has figures indicating the number of laths 2I to be joined together vertically to the direction of fibre for manufacturing one plate.

To the pin I40 of the lever IM a further lever I52 to which a pull member I53 is connected, is fixed. Seen in Fig. 4 this member I53 runs over rollers I54, I55 to the plate I7, a spring I56 being connected to said plate I? and to the bracket 55,

thus continuously stretching the member I53. As long as lever MI is not rotated, the arm I5? mounted on the frame I and influenced by a spring I58 is in the position shown in Fig. la. However, as soon as the lever I42 is rotated by the end I39 of the lever I36 in the anticlockwise direction,-the arm I51 engages the shoulder ISQI and locks the lever MI until the arm I5! on its end IE9 is rotated in the clockwise direction either by hand or automatically. As soon as the end I39 of the lever I36 rotates the lever MI in the anticlockwise direction (seen in Fig. la), the pull member I53 rotates the plate 11. in the clockwise direction (seen in Fig. 4), thereby moving the glue applying roller I5 out of working position, so that the next lath lifted by the bar BI is not supplied with glue and thus not glued together with the plate moving on the table 62 towards the outlet end of the machine.

The counter works as follows:

Be it supposed that the bolt I49 and With it the lever I48 is adjusted to fifty-seven laths and that the lever I36 is not in the position illustrated but in the outgoing position where the pin I 33, under the influence of the weight I35 being in its lowermost position, bears against the upper edge of the lever I 18. On each lath lifted by the bar til, the shaft 3 makes one revolution. For this reason the rod I24 is lifted by the cam disc I 28 once per each revolution and pulled once downward by the spring I29, the driving pawl I39 engaging the ratchet wheel I32 thereby advancing the latter by one tooth in the anticlockwise direction. This operation continues, while the weight 355 is raised, until the end I39 of lever I36 strikes against lever MI, i. e. until fifty-seven laths have been lifted by the bar 5i. At this moment and as described above, the lever MI is rotated and locked by the arm I51 and the glue applying roller I5 put out of working position. Besides this, the lever MI disengages the pawl I43 from the ratchet wheel I32 and this, under the effect of the weight I35, commences to rotate in the clockwise direction. In the beginning it also takes along the lever I23 until the driving pawl I30 strikes against the cam I43 and, by the latter is brought out of engagement with the ratchet wheel I 32. Now the latter runs back until the pin I38 strikes against the upper edge of the lever I58. Lever I48 can again be released by means of the end I59 of the arm I37 either by hand or automatically and the whole is ready for manufacturing a new plate.

If a plate, e. g. a middle layer of a plywood plate is to be manufactured with the described and illustrated machine, the worker may also place lath pieces on the table 3 which are shorter than the desired length of the plate in the direction of fibre, since tight butt joints between these pieces are guaranteed by the device shown in Fig. 5. Therefore, one may also take laths with knots, cut away these knots before bringing the laths upon the table 3 and then use these shortened pieces which are free of knots. All the laths are laid upon the table 3 side by side and one after another in the same way as they are arranged in the finished plate. As the conveying bands 4 are moved continuously, i. e. as the freshly placed laths are continuously brought into close contact with the preceding ones, one may already on the table 3 see the appearance of the finished plate. The laths are now advanced through between the bars 2 and the beam which has previously been adjusted in accordance with the thickness of the laths. At the moment when the foremost lath lies upon the lifting bar SI being in its lowermost position, the cam disc 55 presses the press bar 61 upon the next laths thereby preventing all the laths on the table 3 from being advanced. Now, the cam disc 68 raises the lifting bar BI and during the lifting of the lath on the bar BI one of the lath edges lying in the direction of fibre is supplied with glue by the roller l5. As soon as the bar GI has attained its uppermost position, the cam disc 93, seen in Fig. 3, moves the push beam 86 to the right and this latter pushes the lath lying on the lifting bar SI between the table 82 and the pressing bed formed by the bars H4.

Hereupon, push beam 86 and lifting bar BI are returned. If the latter is again in its lowermost position, the press bar 41 is lifted; the bands 4 move the next lath upon the bar BI, the abovementioned cycle begins anew and the second lath on the table 62 is brought into contact with the former lath and, on moving forward together, the second lath is glued to the former one. This cycle is repeated until the counter, in a manner described above, brings the glue applying roller 15 out of working position. The plate is finished.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine for gluing together laths, a supporting table for the laths, conveying elements for yieldably advancing the laths on said supporting table, a second table for gluing the laths together, lying out of the plane of said supporting table, a back wall adjustable in the direction of movement of said conveying elements, a transporting device between said supporting table and said back wall, for moving the laths conveyed by said conveying elements to a position at the front of said second table, means for moving the laths from the transporting device on to the second table, and a glue applying device on said back wall for supplying the laths with glue during movement of said laths by said transporting de vice.

2. In a machine, for gluing together laths, a supporting table for the laths, conveying elements for yieldably advancing the laths on said supporting table, a second table for gluing the laths together, lying out of the plane of said supporting table, a pressing bed for pressing the laths against said second table, a, back wall adjustable in the direction of movement of said conveying elements, a transporting device between said supporting table and said back wall, for shifting the laths conveyed by said conveying elements to a position at the front of said second table, a glue applying device on said back wall for supplying the laths with glue during their movement by said transporting device, and a reciprocatingly driven push member for moving the shifted laths between said second table and said pressing bed.

3. In a machine for gluing together laths, a supporting table for the laths, conveying elements for advancing the laths on said supporting table, a second table for gluing the laths together, lying out of the plane of said supporting table, a back wall adjustable in the direction of movement of said conveying elements, said back wall having slits, a transporting device between said supporting table and said back wall, for moving the laths conveyed by said conveying elements in front of said second table, means for moving the laths from the transporting device on to the second table, and a glue applying device on said back wall, comprising a glue applying roller projecting through said slits into the path of the laths moved by said transporting device.

4. In a machine for gluing together laths, a supporting table for the laths, conveying elements for advancing the laths on said supporting table, a second table for gluing the laths together, lying out of the plane of said supporting table, a back wall adjustable in the direction of movement of said conveying elements, a transporting device between said supporting table and said back wall, for moving the laths conveyed by said conveying elements in front of said second table, a device on said back wall for applying glue to the laths, a member for moving the laths from said transporting device onto said second table, stop means mounted on said member, and a striking device on said member for pushing the laths against said stop means in a direction substantially perpen.

dicular to the direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of advance by said conveying elements.

5. In a machine for gluing together laths, a supporting table for the laths, conveying elements for advancing the laths on said supporting table, a second table for gluing the laths together, lying out of the plane of said supporting table, a back wall adjustable in the direction of movement of said conveying elements, a transporting device between said supporting table and 

